Anchoring means for carpet tacking strips



March 2, 1954 C, E- OWENS 2,670,494

ANCHORING MEANS FOR CARPET TACKING STRIPS Filed 0G15. l, 1951 INVENTOR.

(YET/.5' @Wi/V5 AKS Patented Mar. 2, 1954 UNITED STATES vMam oFFlcE ANCHORING MEANS FOR CARPET TACKING STRIPS 8 Claims.

Thiszinventionrelates.to the laying of carpets `and:particularly"to an improved anchoring means for securing the margins of carpets kin place alongside of the wall. baseboards.

In `the United vStates patent to Roberts No. 2238,946 there is shown and Vdescribed a form rof carpet .securing devicehaving an elongated strip .of wooden material .from the upper surface of-which sprotrude nail-like elements to which a -margin :of the carpet is secured. The kstrip is nailed to .wooden 'floors land vglued to cement .flooring immediately adjacent to the wall of a room. Additional fastening means in the form 'oir-double rpointed nails are suggested for securing the stripto the baseboard, each nail having one end driven into the side of the strip and the opposite end :driven into the :side of 'the baseboard. .Considerable time and effort is required bythe workmenin layingthe strip and assuring positive securement in place. 'This is especially true of cement vfiiooring where it has been the practice to either adhesively secure the strip to the floor or nail `thestrip to wooden .plugs embeddedin the iioor. In thecasevof adhesive securement, itis necessary -to allow .sometime `to elapse for the adhesive material to takev a permanent set. -Even when properly'laid, fthe strip is Lvery likely'to `be pulled-away from l.the yadhesive material `requiring the work to be vdone all over again.

An important generalobject of 'this invention Kis to provide an limproved fastening means for positivelyanchoring vthe `carpet in place and `without altering or modifying 'the floor or impairing 'thefexteriorrnnish offthe'baseboard. An- 1 other important object lof the linvention is Ato provide an `'improved V*fastening `means .which speeds .the carpet laying time and assures vpositive fand permanent-securem'ent of the `margins of fthe carpets `alongside 'o'f the walls. A further important :object of `the Vinvention vis to provide an improvel .fastening Lmeans for carpets ywhich iis especially fdesirable :for `cement-type `iiooring `and'eliminates the necessity of employing adhe- `sive:substances:andwooden Aplugs and the time andlabor involved Lin the use .nfrsuch'rnaterials In carrying out the .objects of the invention, afcarpet fastening means is provided which uti- `lizes the baseboardfor positive anchorage and v:such .a .manner vthat it'rdoes notzalterior jm mail: thea-exterior '.nish lof .the ibaseboard. .As :exemplified-bythe embodiments of the invention hereni illustrated, -the fastening means includes -ia of ,similar anchoring :members each Ymillesiane'clzthat-1'tzniarmiesliclaibivttedor.driven under the baseboard and interlock therewith against withdrawal. Means is provided for limiting the extent each anchoring member may be forced under the baseboard leaving la portion projecting outwardly from the baseboard. The projecting portion of each anchoring member is utilized to secure the margin of a carpet thereto .and particularly as herein shown to be clamped to -a carpet tack strip of the character illustrated in the aforementioned Roberts patent. Each anchoring member is preferably a one-piece metallic article formed out of sheet metal stock and shaped in a novel manner for .interlocking engagement with the lower edge of the baseboard land for clamping engagement with the tack strip or other means utilized for securing the carpet in place. The .anchoring Ymembers are shaped to be conveniently driven in under the lower edge of the baseboardand the floor over which it extends and to be vclamped to the tack strip .or other hold downmeans for thecarpet. l

Various other objects, advantages .and meritorious features will become more fully apparent .from the following specication, appended claims and accompanying drawings wherein:

Fig..1 is a transverse `sectional `view through the corner .formed bythe juncture of a wall with a floor and showing the final assembled position .of the parts of one of the anchoring members .of the'modiiied anchoring member of Fig. 4, and

Fig. 6 is a perspective View diagrammatically illustrating the manner of installing the anchor- Ving members under a Wall baseboard and the clamping -of a tack Vstrip thereto.

Referring-to Fig. S, a preferred form of anchoringymember is illustrated and as shown is in the ,form of aonepiece metallic element generally `indicated vat E53. The anchoring member is pref- `erably `formed out of .sheet metal stock, and being elongated .in one dimension it assumes :a band-lilsecharacter. The members are bent .to exhibit an L-shape connguration having a longer section Vmand a-,shorterorleg section it. ininstalledgpositicn'the Alongersection vl2 :extends horizontally and lies fiat against the floor. The shorter section I4 constitutes an upturned fiange against which one side of a tack strip bears as hereinafter described and preferably extends to a height greater than the thickness of the tack strip.

The end section of the anchoring member it opposite to its upturned ange is driven in under a wall baseboard and is interlocked therewith. For this purpose the end section of the member is relatively thin and flat and its leading edge may be beveled or chamfered as indicated at I6.l

The part of the member which enters between the baseboard and the floor is provided with one or more upwardly extending projections which are preferably arranged so that it may pass under the baseboard with a minimum of resistance butr positively engage and interlock with the baseboard when forces are applied tending to retrack the member away from the baseboard. Such projections preferably form integral parts of the anchoring member and are herein shown as prongs I8 struck out of the section I2 adjacent to the outer end thereof. Three such prongs are provided in the embodiment of the invention illustrated in Fig. 3 and they may be arranged in the triangular formation shown. The prongs I8 are relatively short and as shown are inclined toward the middle of the member and the fiange I4. The prongs are preferably about a quarter of an inch in length and preferably inclined at an angle between 30 and 45.

An upwardly extending projection is provided in the middle portion of the section I2. This projection is in the form of a relatively long prong 20 struck out of the anchor member and inclined in the same direction as the shorter prongs I8. The prong 2B is preferably inclined at an angle of approximately 45 and a length approximately twice that of the shorter prongs I8. The long prong 20 serves as a stop limiting the extent the anchor member may be inserted under the baseboard and also as one of the elements for clampingly engaging the carpet tack strip if such is employed to hold the carpet as hereinafter described. The prong 2B also serves to provide a clearance between the tack strip and the baseboard. The spatial relation of the prong 20 to the flange I4 is such that the tack strip may be snugly received therebetween with its upper surface below the upperv ends of the prong and the flange.

Figs. 1, 2 and 6 illustrate the application of the anchor members i@ to a cement type of floor 22 and the combination of the anchor members with a wall baseboard 24 and a carpet tack strip 26 associated with the floor. A plurality of anchor members are provided for each baseboard of a room. The pronged end of each member is driven in under the baseboard 24 at spaced intervals which may be nine inches to a foot apart. The anchor members are each forced under the baseboard until the long prong 20 abuts the front side thereof. In this position as shown in Fig. 2, the short prongs IB are received under the lower edge of the baseboard and incline upwardly and outwardly for biting engagement with the baseboard and in such a manner as to lock the anchor member from withdrawal. The longer prong 20 and the ange I4 of the anchor members thus secured to the baseboard form a series of cradles along the floor into which the tack strip 26 is fitted.

The carpet tack strip 26 may be constructed like that described in the aforementioned Roberts patent and provided with a plurality of nails or brads 23 driven in from the lower surface of the strip at the same inclination such as shown in Figs. 1 and 2 and protruding from the upper surface thereof. The strip 26 is fitted between the iiange and the long prong by first tilting the strip on its longitudinal axis and dropping it into the aligned series of cradles and then turning the strip back so that it lies at on the sections I2 of the anchor members as shown in Fig. 2. The tack strip is clamped to the anchor members by folding or crimping the fianges Id and the prongs 20 over the upper surface of the tack strip. The result is that shown in Fig. i and Fig. 6 with the strip tightly clamped to the anchor members and heid by the members to the baseboard. In this secured position, the base section I2 of each anchoring member projects from the wall side of the tack strip in substantially ush relation to the lower surface of the strip and contactually between the latter and the 'flooif To secure a carpet in place by means of the anchor clamps Iii and the tack strip 26, a base layer of padding 3i! is cut to cover the fioor area between the tack strips extending along the baseboards of the room and laid over the floor with the edges of the pad substantially abutting the strips as shown in Fig. 1. The tack strips 26 and the pad 35 are preferably of substantially the same thickness. A carpet 32 having the dimensions of the room is then laid over the pad and its margins hookedto the slanting nails 28. A shoe molding 34 is laid over each margin of the carpet and nailed or otherwise secured to the adjacent baseboard to conceal the edges of th carpet.

Figs. 4 and 5 illustrate a modification of the invention wherein, in place of a single prong 20 having the dual function of limiting the insertion of the anchor member and of clampingly engaging the top side of the tack strip 26, two separate prong elements are provided. The anchor member of the modification is otherwise constructed as described in Vconnection with Fig. 3 and like parts are referred to by the same reference characters. As illustrated in Fig. 4, the modified anchor member is provided with two upstanding prong elements 36 and 38 struck out of the material of the member. These prongs are preferably offset to one another both laterally and longitudinally of the anchor member. Prong 36 is preferably made so as not to extend to a height greater than the tack strip. Prong 38 is made longer than prong 3B so that it may be bent to overlie the top side of the tack strip and assist in clamping the same in position. Fig. 5 illustrates the use of the anchor member of Fig. 4 and in addition differs from Fig. 1 by showing a variation of the manner of securing the carpet 32 in place. The prong end of the anchor member is driven in under the baseboard 24 in the manner previously described to interlock the prongs I8 with the lower edge of the baseboard. The extent to which the anchor member can be forced under the baseboard is limited by the shorter prong 36. A series of these anchor members are interlocked with the baseboard at spaced intervals as shown in Fig. 6. Thereafter the tack strip 2t is placed between the outer flanges I4 of the anchor members and the longer prongs 38, and the upper end portions of these two elements are turned over the tack strip to snugly hold the tack strip in place. Padding 30 is then overlaid upon the floor and brought up edge'- wise against the outer sides of the tack stripa. `The padding4 is covered yby a carpet- 32 :which inthislin- Stance may 19e-,outa liitleoversize-the dimensions of theoor. Each outerrmargin of the carpet is stretched over the protruding nails V28, of the ,tack kstrip and downwardly yjalrimied or .wedged ,into the space or ciearanceprovided between the QIfset .prongs V3ft and '38 of theanchor members. The nails of the tack strip serveto anchor vthe margins of the carpet in place. The wedged edges of the carpet are snugly held between the baseboards and the tack strips. As a result, the usual shoe moldings 34 shown in Fig. 1 may be omitted if desired.

What I claim is:

1. An anchor clamp for securing a carpet tacking strip to a wall baseboard having one end section thereof shaped to grippingly engage and hold a carpet tacking strip and having the opposite end section thereof shaped to enter between the lower edge of a wall baseboard and the floor over which the baseboard extends, said last mentioned end section shaped to denne a flat end portion having a chamfered leading edge and being provided spaced inwardly from said edge with upwardly extending projections struck out of the section to overlie the same for penetrating the baseboard under which it is inserted for locking the member against withdrawal.

2. A device for securing a carpet tacking strip to a wall baseboard comprising a member of thin flat metallic material having one end section thereof provided with upwardly extending portions adapted to be folded around a tacking strip for clamping engagement therewith, the opposite end section of the member being thin and provided with a beveled forward edge and insertable under a wall baseboard, Said opposite end section provided with upwardly extending prongs struck out of the section and overlying the same for biting engagement with the baseboard.

3. An anchor clamp for securing a carpet tacking strip to a wall baseboard comprising a onepiece member formed of sheet metal stock and elongated in one dimension, said member adapted to underlie a carpet tacking strip in crosswise relation thereto, one end portion of the member being upturned to provide a flange against which the outer side of the tacking strip bears, the opposite end portion of the member being insertable between the lower edge of a wall baseboard and the floor over which it extends and being provided with one or more relatively short upwardly extending prongs struck out of the portion and inclined away from the direction of the insertion for biting engagement with the lower edge of the baseboard, and the mid-portion of the member being provided with a relatively long upwardly extending prong struck out of said mid-portion of the member and of a length greater than the rst mentioned prongs inclined in the same direction as the shorter prongs and adapted to engage with the front side of the baseboard and the inner side of the tacking strip and serve as a spacer limiting the distance to which the tacking strip may be brought up to the baseboard.

4. An anchor clamp for securing a carpet tacking strip to a, wall baseboard comprising an L- shaped member forming two perpendicularly related sections of unequal length, the longer section of the member being thin and flat and shaped for endwise insertion between the lower edge of a wall baseboard and the floor over which the baseboard extends, the end portion of the longer section opposite to the shorter section being provided with one or more pointed prongs .6 inclined .upwardly and .toward -the `sh'orterfsection, said llonger*sections-exhibiting Yan upwardly projecting. element :formed from a po1tionofthe longer section of the member .between the pointed prongs land-the shorter end section and `having ajlength substantially greater thanY that ofthe prongsand adapted .to be lfolded over a tacking stripseated vbetween the shorter section and the element to hold the strip therebetween and serve as an abutment for engaging the front sideof the vbaseboard to limit the extent the longer section of the member may be inserted thereunder.

5. An anchor clamp for securing a carpet tacking strip to a wall baseboard comprising a member elongated in one dimension, one end portion 'of the member being upturned to provide a ilange against which the outer side of a tacking strip may bear, the opposite end portion of the member being thin and at and shaped for insertion between the lower edge of a wall baseboard and the floor over which the baseboard extends, said last mentioned end portion of the member being provided with one or more pointed prongs in- -clined upwardly and toward the flange, and the mid portion of the member being provided with a pair of substantially vertically extending elements, said elements being oiset longitudinally of the member from one another so that one of the elements is closer to the flange than the other element, the element more remote from the nange serving as an abutment for engaging the front side of a baseboard to limit the extent the pronged portion of the member may be inserted thereunder and the other element cooperating with the ange to cradle a tacking strip therebetween.

6. An anchor clamp for securing a carpet tacking strip to a wall baseboard comprising an elongated member having substantially uniformly spaced apart parallel side edges, said member provided with an upstanding flange at one end adapted to abut the outer edge of a tacking strip, the `other end of the member chamfered at the edge to permit insertion of such end between a baseboard and the subjacent door, one or more prongs struck out of the member adjacent said other end and extending upwardly toward the flange, an element struck out of said member between the side edges and spaced from the flange and extending angularly theretowards, said element adapted to cooperate with the ange to form a cradle for a tacking strip and adapted to limit the insertion of said member underneath the baseboard.

7. An anchor clamping device for securing a carpet tacking strip to a wall baseboard comprising a member elongated in one dimension and having a thin flat end section, said section adapted to be slidably inserted beneath a wall baseboard and exhibiting at least one upwardly projecting prong for engaging and entering the baseboard to secure the member thereunder, an element upstanding from said section and adapted to abut the baseboard to limit the insertion of the member thereunder, and a pair of elements upstanding from the section and forming a cradle therebetween to receive and hold a tacking strip spaced outwardly from the first mentioned element.

8. An anchor clamp for securing a carpet tacking strip to a wall baseboard comprising a member elongated in one dimension and exhibiting an upstanding flange at one end adapted to abut and hold one edge of a tacking strip, the opposite en d of the member adapted to be inserted under a wall baseboard and exhibiting an upstanding prong for engaging the baseboard to secure the member thereunder, and a, pair of elements upstanding from the member and spaced apart between the opposite end sections of the member with one element of the pair adapted to cooperate with the flange to cradle and hold a. tacking strip therebetween and the other element adapted to abut the baseboard and limit the insertion of the member thereunder.

CLETIS E. OWENS.

References Cited in the me of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date Hosch Nov. 30, 1909 Nelson June 29, 1926 Awbrey Mar. 1, 1932 Roberts Apr. 22, 1941 Paul Aug. 7, 1951 

